The Universe and a Dirty Old Car
Every couple of weeks, I carry two plastic trash bags out to my navy blue 2003 Suburban. One is for trash, the other I use to haul in each toy, book, water bottle and sock that finds its way into gaps and cushions. When I open the door to a gust of stale, oven-hot air, I often take a deep breath in a split-second of internal rage and wonder why I’m standing here, again. Why does this keep happening?
My answer usually comes in the form of something you may remember from high school or college physics - the second law of thermodynamics (I failed college physics, so I learned about it twice). The second law of thermodynamics states that, in a closed system, no processes will tend to occur that increase the net organization (or decrease the net entropy) of the system.
For the sake of ease, we can replace the word entropy with chaos. The idea is that a closed system like my car can only stay at its present level of chaos or move towards more. It cannot become more organized. This is a pattern of our entire universe (and why my table seems to get more cluttered the minute I set my book down on it). The only way for the system to move towards order, is through the help of outside energy. When I step into the car to clean it, I am opening the system and choosing to absorb its chaos. Through my own work, I transfer that chaos to other areas. I become a vessel of re-order.
My washed-out suburban serves as a reminder to me about the ways we can absorb the chaos of others or allow them to help us with ours. I know from the research that one conscious absorption can shift an entire system. One act of love, one moment of empathy, one example of grit. If it was two, our best efforts could be lost. If it was two, we could absolve ourselves of responsibility. But it’s not. All it takes is one act to right the universe, for a time. And that gives me hope.
Further Reading:
From Eternity to Here by Sean Carroll
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by by Angela Duckworth (available in Spanish)